How to Get a Category BE Driving Licence in Austria?

A Category BE driving licence (in German, Führerschein Klasse BE) is what you need in Austria to tow a heavy trailer behind a car or van. If you want to pull a large caravan, a horse box, a boat or car-transporter trailer, or a light commercial trailer combination, a standard Category B licence is often not enough. This guide explains exactly what a Category BE licence covers in Austria, when you need it instead of Class B or the Code 96 entry, who can apply, the training and tests required, what it costs, and how it fits into a professional driving career.

Driving licences in Austria are issued by the licensing authority (the Bezirkshauptmannschaft or, in cities, the Landespolizeidirektion), while training and application are handled through a driving school (Fahrschule). You can start with our driving licence in Austria and licence eligibility pages.

What is a Category BE licence in Austria?

Category BE lets you drive a Class B towing vehicle (a car or van up to 3.5 tonnes) combined with a heavy trailer with a maximum authorised mass up to 3,500 kg, regardless of the trailer’s braking system. The total mass of the whole combination may be up to 7,000 kg — for example, a 3,500 kg vehicle pulling a 3,500 kg trailer. It is the licence for serious towing, well beyond what a plain car licence allows.

When do you need BE rather than Class B?

Your Class B licence already lets you tow within limits, so the key is the combined weight:

• Light trailer up to 750 kg: Class B  is sufficient,  allowing a combination of up to about 4,250 kg.
• Heavy trailer over 750 kg, combination up to 3,500 kg: still allowed on Class B.
• Combination over 3,500 kg up to 4,250 kg: you need the Code 96 entry or a full BE licence.
• Combination over 4,250 kg up to 7,000 kg: you need a Category BE licence.
• Combination over 7,000 kg: BE is not enough — you need C1E.

Always check the values entered in your vehicle’s registration document (Zulassungsbescheinigung), because the licence is only one part of what you are legally allowed to tow.

Code 96: the lighter, exam-free alternative

If your combination only exceeds the Class B limit — over 3,500 kg but not more than 4,250 kg — you may not need full BE. The Code 96 is an add-on to your Class B licence requiring a short course of seven teaching units (three theory and four practical) at a driving school, but no exam, no medical certificate and no first-aid course. The driving school issues a confirmation of attendance, valid for 18 months, which you take to the authority to have code 96 entered in your licence. Importantly, this same training counts toward a full BE licence, so if you later upgrade to BE, you only need to sit the exams.

Who can apply for a Category BE licence?

• You must already hold a valid Class B licence — BE is always an extension of your car licence.
• Training can begin at 17 and a half, and the licence is issued from 18.
• You apply through a driving school, which submits your application to the licensing authority.

The training and tests for BE in Austria

To extend your Class B licence to B, E, you complete training and, unlike in some countries, you sit both a theory and a practical test. In practice,ce this means:

• A short course of training (theory and practical) at a driving school, focused on coupling, load and brake checks, manoeuvring, reversing and driving the combination safely.
• A theory exam and a practical driving exam for the class.

There is a useful exception: if you have held the Class B and F licences for at least three years and have genuine experience towing heavy trailers, the theory lessons and the theory exam can be waived, leaving only the practical test. If you already hold Code 96, the training is fully credited, and you only need to take the exams.

How is your BE licence issued?

You submit the application through your chosen driving school, which can be anywhere in Austria; the authority responsible is the one where the school is based. After you pass the practical exam and pay the fees, the authority orders your card licence (Scheckkartenführerschein), which is normally posted to you within five to ten days. You can usually receive a temporary licence in the meantime so that you can drive straight away. The licence-issuing fee is around €49.50, separate from the driving-school costs.

How much does a BE licence cost in Austria?

Costs depend on the driving school and how much practice you need. The main outlay is the school’s training package, plus the official licence-issuing fee of around €49.50 and any exam fees. For comparison, the simpler Code 96 entry — the same seven units of training but no exam — typically costs around €450. Because BE adds the theory and practical exams, it costs more than Code 96, but it gives you the higher 7,000 kg limit. Combining BE with another class at the same time usually reduces the total.

One licence, valid across Europe

A Category BE licence issued in Austria is mutually recognised across the European Union, the EEA, and Switzerland, so that you can tow throughout Europe. The Austrian licence follows the common EU card model. Note a grandfathering rule: B+E licences issued before 19 January 2013 still allow towing trailers heavier than 3,500 kg, and on a later document exchange, this is marked with code 79.06.

What can you tow with a BE licence?

A BE licence covers the heavier end of everyday and light commercial towing: large twin-axle caravans, horse trailers, boat and car-transporter trailers, plant and machinery trailers, and light commercial trailer combinations used to move goods when a van alone is not enough. It is popular with tradespeople, equestrians, leisure and motorsport users, and small logistics operators.

BE and the route to professional driving.

BE combinations are widely used in light goods transport, so the licence has real commercial value, and it is a natural stepping stone toward the heavy categories. To drive larger combinations, you progress to C1E and CE, which also require the professional Code 95 qualification and a tachograph card. If a driving career is your goal, browse current driver jobs to see what employers in Austria are looking for.

Tips for getting your BE licence in Austria. First, decide

• whether you need a full BE or whether Code 96 covers your trailer — Code 96 is faster and requires no exam.
• Check your towing vehicle’s permitted towing mass in the registration document before booking.
• Practise reversing and manoeuvring, which examiners watch closely.
• If you have held Class B and F for three years with towing experience, ask the school about the theory waiver.
• If you may later need heavier towing or a truck licence, plan your progression to C1E or CE.

Get ready to tow

A Category BE licence gives you the freedom to tow heavy trailers and combinations up to 7,000 kg across Austria and the whole of Europe. If you already hold Class B, it is a manageable next step: short training, the theory and practical tests, and your card licence is upgraded. When you are ready to take your driving to the next level, register in the driver section and browse current vacancies on FastDriver.eu.

Declaration

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Driving licence categories, weight limits, training requirements, fees and test formats can change and may vary by case and by authority in Austria. Always confirm the current rules with the official Austrian government sources and check your vehicle documents before towing. The authoritative information is on the government’s oesterreich.gv.at driving licence and licence categories pages, and the EU framework is in the EUR-Lex text of Directive (EU) 2025/2205. FastDriver.eu accepts no liability for actions taken based on this information.